This invention relates generally to truck bedliners and in particular to thermoformed thermoplastic liners for use on truck beds having fifth wheel mounts.
Although long used in agricultural and commercial applications, pick-up trucks with open cargo beds have also become increasingly popular as personal and family vehicles. The commercial vehicle owner, although concerned with performance and cost effectiveness of the vehicle, often considers the vehicle as a traveling company advertisement or symbol. A neat and well-maintained vehicle is more likely to favorably impress customers. Owners of personal vehicles, while concerned with functionality and efficiency, are also concerned with pride of ownership, personal image, and outward appearances. In addition, the automotive enthusiast desires to maintain his vehicle in as close to a "like new" condition as possible.
Truck bedliners of plastic or rubber are commonly employed to protect the painted metal surfaces of a pick-up truck cargo bed. These truck bedliners are available in a wide variety of configurations to suit the wide variety of available trucks. Bed liners protect the cargo bed from scratching and denting as well as paint fading from exposure to sunlight and elements. One-piece thermoformed thermoplastic truck bedliners provide a cost-effective means of protecting the truck cargo bed.
Because of the thin sheet construction of bedliners, to restrain the twisting and warping of the bottom wall, the bottom wall is formed with an array of parallel longitudinal ribs. In addition to the stiffening benefits of these ribs, they also serve as passageways for the escape of rain water and other liquid collected within the truck bed.
Pick-up trucks may be provided with trailer hitches which, rather than mounting to the rear of the vehicle, are secured to the bed of the truck approximately between the wheel wells. These fifth wheel or goose neck hitches provide greater towing capacity.
Fifth wheel hitches have been mounted to bedliners over the undulating ribs by positioning metal shims, such as round rods beneath or between ribs, and then fastening the fifth wheel hitch to the truck frame directly through the raised ribs.
What is needed is a truck bedliner which readily permits fifth wheel hitch mounting while still providing some level of protection to the truck bed.